Free Show Next To Zilker Tree Billed As Alternative To Trail Of Lights

The city had to cancel the Trail of Lights this year because of budget cuts, but there is another event going on in its place. It's not quite the Trail of Lights, but it is bright, it's holiday-themed, and it's next to the Zilker Tree.

Flipped ON Christmas runs through December 23rd. It's an "extraordinary, world-class, light and sound experience that's being produced by Austinites," according to spokesperson Jennifer Hill Robenalt.

"It's a combination of an amazing array of lights in an enclosed tent space just steps away from the Zilker Christmas Tree," she told KUT News. "That is going to be accompanies by recorded holiday music in a variety of genres including swing, lounge music, traditional holiday music, rock, R&B."

There will be 12 shows a night, three shows per hour between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. A narrative for the performance is that Austin needs to "flip on" Christmas so Santa can find us and bring "holiday cheer" to girls and boys.

The event is free to the public, paid for with corporate sponsorships.

"I think this is actually a beautiful alternative to the Trail of Lights," Robenalt said. "It is going to be very, very different thought. It is in an enclosed space, so it feels like a real show."

Here's some video of the lights inside the tent, provided by Flipped ON Christmas:

Just for nostalgic purposes, here's some video of the Zilker Trail of Lights.